The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-24

eS claimed and though the amount be less
than twenty dollars, and if the defendant
fails in his defence and the taxes claimed
are found TO be due the state, there shall
be judgment for the commonwealth for the
aggregate amount of the taxes due to the
state thereon from the time they become
due until the date of the Judgment. with
interest on said aggregate amount from the
date of the Judgment until the payment
and COSTS. Every such judgment shall be
docketed as prescribed by law in other
cases. The auditor of public accounts only
shall-be authorized to receive payment of
any such judgment. and no execution shall
issue thereon until he directs it.
| The passage of the substance of a law
such as [ have outlined with the attending
machinery to put it in motion. will be cat
rying out the plain theory Of the act APP
proved February 18th, 1882, and it is hoped
will prove effective.
! IN connection with the revenue of the
stAe, ssss leave respectfully to- call your
| attention to recent decision of the SUI
| preme court of the United States, affirm
ing that law imposing tax upon sample
merchants, although it applies to our own
citizens as well as n0n-residents, is uncon-
stitutional so far as it affects the latter.
Interpreting this decision, as given by the
| public prints-nOt having seen the exact
| Textile state s annual revenue will he
decreased and provision will have to be
| made for the deficit. The sample mer-
chants license for the fiscal year ending
| September 18th, 1886, aggregated $751; 800.
More important than this decrease of rev.
enue is the position in which it places our
own merchants. 1t should be the duty of
the legislature to give every protection to
| the citizens of Virginia. so as to prevent
a competition on unequal terms between
our home merchants and manufacturers.
and those who pay no taxes to the support
of the state government. It is difficult
and grave question, and it may be neces-
| sary for the legislature to adapt all our
| license laws to this new condition of af-
fairs.
| have the honor to transmit as bearing
upon the debt subject of this message the
accompanying letter from Mr.. Charles
| OIeavy. secretary of the council of for
| eign bondholders, and also a copy of the
| resolutions which accompanied it and
which were adopted at the meeting of the
Virginia bondholders, convened by the
council Of foreign bondholders, and held
in London on the oath of September 1856
| am Informed by the counsel representing
that association in this country that they
own or practically control all the consol
or ten-forty bonds, and that he therefore
believes that the great bulk of them IS
| now held in Great Britain. | am also in re-
ceipt OF copy Of a cablegram to their coun-
sci, bearing date London March s, 1887 and
saying: Council and committee certainly
control English bondholders. Any official
intimation of government 8 desire to tire 1t
with council on basis of September reso
buttons for exclusive benefit of bonds and
coupons deposited with council will in
sure the deposit of Whole.' The resolu-
tions referred to i'll the letter of the Sec
rotary of the council of foreign bondhod
erS asserts a ''steadfaSt determination not
TO accept the Riddleberger settlement, !"
but expresses "a willingness to meet the
State and entertain a reasonable compro
mise based upon the present TAXATION and
the ava liable revenue after providing for
the constitutional appropriations for gov
ernment, schools aud other public expen-
diture''
The State has expressed .'steadfast de-
termination to adhere to the Riddleberger
settlement and does not admit her ability
based upon her present taxation, +" to pay
more principal and interest than that set
Element demands. and claims that her an.
nual revenue will be absorbed by such
amount of interest added to Ter other ne
cessary expenses. The question of the
financial ability of the State would seem
then to be the sole point of difference be-
tween the Commonwealth and her credi-
tors. or, in other words. how much can the
State pay without Increasing her taxes
l repeat my former recon- lamentations Tor
| the appointment of a commission whose
! duty it shall be to demonstrate to a SINH
lar commission from the bondhpidels the
| exact facts and figures which make up the
| States revenues and expenditures, and
| point out not only what is the available
revenue after providing fer the constitu-
tional appropriations for government.
schools, and other public expenditures. "
| but demonstrate to them what revenues
remains after the regular annual leg.sla-
tive appropriations, and which are not in
cfuded in constitutional APRON lations. =
| The duties of such commission should
| be plainly defined, their powers carefully
prescribed, guarded and limited, that 10
m:sconception be INDUCED in on the part
| of any one. Such commission should
only be empowered to explain the settle
ment of 1871 and 1852 to the creditors, and
point out that which addresses itself to
their interests as well as to the in
terests of the State. 1t should be
clothed with no other power, and have no
other duties to performs but to urge them
to the settlement Virginia has decreed,
to represent how futile had been their et-
forts IN the past to resist the determine
ton of our people, and that the future held
out to them DULY the prospect OF interim
nable litigation, injurious alike to them
and TO us that the achievement of mere
| illusory triumt his in the courts. are fraught
with no substantial liGigants On either
side. 1t should be the duty of the com
mission TO point out to them the vast un
tried and unexpehded power which resides
| in a united and resolute people, and eau
| No Il of
public sentiment which might be forgetfu
of all sense Of justice. and taking counsel
only from passion, destroy the interests
which we are now striving to protect,
1t is believed that those holding the out
| standing indebtedness OF the state could
meet through their committee. face to
| face, such commission here in Virgioia
OF elsewhere. and hear and see for them
selves, be confronted by the stubborn
facts as they exist at present, and be i'm
pressed with the uncertainty wi i.h
dwells in the future and arises from The
unsettled problem. which constantly exas
perates and harnesses the public mind, they
would be. willing to fund such outstanding
indebtedness intoth bonds of this settle
ment, whose value would be at once great
ly increased. Such action OH their part
solves the problem and terminates the ags
itation. Virginia will act in good faith,
will pay her debt thus ascertained and ac-
Guiesced in hotn contracting parties, and
which has been conquered in by both rolIt
zeal parties, because her revenues will
Prove adequate without incre asing the
burdens OF her people.
Ihave the honor TO transmit herewith q
brief report of the attorney general of the
legal decisions of the debt question sil CO
the last Adjournment of the general assem-
bly in order that they may De duly coiisid-
ed IN any further legislation on the subject.
THE CODE.
The attention Of the general assembly is
also directed by the work of the revisers
of the code. Under the Act to revise
and digest the code and statutes of Vir-
. ginia, approved March 18th, 1884. it was
made the duty of three persons, to be
elected by the general assembly. to collate
, and revise all the general statutes. civil
and criminal. of this commonwealth, which
, may be in force at the time of the compile
ticn of their work. Judges Burks ard
Staples and Maj. John w. Rely. the gen
: tlemen selected for this purpose. officially
report to me that the text of the code
both civil and criminal, will be completed
to day or within d few days. They Wer5
. authorized under the law to "deliver tn
whole of their work at one time, or parts
: at different times. to the public printer
! who shall print fifteen hundred copies